The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has advised sports governing bodies that athletes from Belarus should once again compete under their full national identity without being required to undergo vetting for neutral status.

Although this recommendation does not yet apply to Russia, it appears to signal a potential end to Russia's isolation in Olympic circles amid its war on Ukraine.

One barrier to Russia's return is an ongoing investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into recent reports implicating Russian anti-doping agency official Veronika Loginova.

The IOC said its executive board noted “with concern the recent information” being looked at by WADA, without naming Loginova.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus had to be approved as neutrals who did not support the war for individual events at the 2024 Paris Olympics and February’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. A total of 32 athletes from the two countries competed in Paris, winning five medals combined, including one gold in trampoline by an athlete from Belarus.

“The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict,” the Olympic body said on Thursday.

The IOC noted the qualification period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics “starts this summer.”

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has been suspended by the IOC since October 2023 for incorporating regional sports bodies in illegally occupied eastern Ukraine. “Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension,” the IOC said, “it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter.”

Source: www.aljazeera.com